Fighting For Death
by Agent Pumpkin
Summary: Zombies have invaded Unova and sections of Sinnoh. When Ruby is forced to eradicate her family she is left lost and confused. And desperate for revenge. Can her friends - and her lover, Chili - help her through it?


**Hey guys, it's Jesspikapal here, but you probably already knew that!**

**So, I'm gonna try something a litle different here; I'm gonna try using the cliche zombie apocalypse idea and turn it into a VERY high T rated (which MAY eventually turn to M, so don't blame me!), action packed, Strawberryshipping, slightly-Wishfulshipping, awesome-filled fanfiction! :D**

**Watch me! ;D Oh and the idea of the "UTF" isn't exactly my idea. I borrowed it from another show, though the characters will be ALOT different. It's a Death Valley reference - love the show by the way. Particularly Billy. :3 (It's not in this chappie anyways, but it will be introduced shortly!)**

**~Jess~**

**X x**

**Once upon an ending - "You know that feeling. That feeling of despair and when you feel as if you're the most hated person on the earth because of one little thing that you did. You did a bad thing with pure, justified intentions..."**

**X x**

Contorted onto my face was a mixture of anger and despair. I am terrible , an inexcusable sister and an ugly person. How could I have done that to my own _sister_? I dropped the baseball bat and examined my "work". It was the fear, I told herself. It was the fear that had made me lash out, otherwise it wouldn't be in my mind to even lay a single finger on my beautiful sister.

Monster or not.

I had no idea where these _things _had come from and what they were doing in the quaint little streets of Snowpoint, but all I knew was, I wanted to go home: back to Striaton City, where I would be safe and with everyone. With Iris and Cilan, and even Idiot. And Doofus. I hated to admit it, but I missed him more than ever. I'd only come home to see Hailey - not anyone else - and to see if I could possibly sneak her back to Striaton. It would be easy to take her and she would be equally easy to look after. Hailey was a joy as long as she wasn't losing a board game!

"No..." I muttered, unable to think straight. I stared at the bleeding mess, trying to comprehend the attack. My sister had just appeared in the door way to my room (my sister entering my room irritates me anyway, but I'd never beat her because of it!), making strange noises. I looked up, thinking she was choking or she felt ill to see something that made me cringe. It wasn't even my sister, the thing that stared back at me.

_"H-Hailey...? What happened? Did you burn yourself?" I asked, taking note of the blackened skin on her face. She didn't answer me, just staggered into my room; I sat still on my bed, feeling slightly creeped out. It looked as if my sister wasn't even in there when she peered back at me. She looked like... a beast. A monster. Something that''s only in those cheap block-buster horror movies._

_"Hailey?" I asked firmer, putting my guitar down and getting on my knees, my hands supporting me, to peer at her more intensely. Now that I could see, she really __did__ look a monster. Her skin was non-existent, it looked as if her mouth was detached from her entire face and her eyes were eeriely pointed straight at me, kinda like a lion stalking it's prey or something. I breathed in as she turned her whole body around and walked towards my bed, her walk like a drunk stagger. I knew the action all too well, thanks to mom. Speaking of mom, where was she? I mean, it wouldn't exactly suprise me if she was out drinking again, but it was Sunday, and Sunday was the day that she normally spent the entire time throwing up, due to her abnormal intake of alcohol._

_A sickening thought entered my mind._

_"Did mom hurt you, Hailey? Did she hit you?" I dared to breathe out. If mom was home, and she deemed Hailey as "in her way", she would probably knock her around a bit. Hey, it was the same when I was little; luckily, nothing bad happened other than a couple of bruises. I had been smart enough to stay out of her way, but Hailey... Hailey is a little slower than me, both physically and mentally. _

_She reached my bed and placed her hands on the side; they too, were deformed, her fingers looked like they'd never been cleaned and looking now, her eyes were a distant black. What suprised me most was what came next: her attempt to get __on__ my bed. She failed... but she'd never failed before. It seemed she wasn't even jumping to get on (something she had to do because of her short height) and she was making animalistic noises. She reached for my arm- I didn't move. It looked as if she needed comfort and that's why she'd clammed up. That had to be it! God, here I was being lame, thinking about monsters and shit like that whe-_

_But then she bit me. Or she __tried__ to, but she missed. She roared - seemingly in rage - and made a wild grab for me. I dodged easily, though it was enough to make my heart beat fast with fear. She was just... she looked like she was spasming. Like she did when she lost a game or something stupid like that. Still, she's only six so I guess it's normal._

_Unprepared, I fell when she grabbed my leg, but my arm was faster. I hit her. I couldn't believe it. I'd actually hit her. Despite my fear, all I could yell was: "Stop it Hailey! Stop messing around!" she growled at me in response and I cowered, before I turned angry and picked up the first thing my hand came into contact with: my baseball bat. I used to play when I was little, but I had kept hold of it for nostalgic purposes._

_"What have you done with my sister?" I demanded as I struck the... thing with my bat. It just stumbled backwards. I knew in my heart that this __was__ Hailey and something had gone terribly wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to believe that I was hitting her, for I swore I'd always protect her. But I suppose I am; I'm saving her from this beast she's becoming. Isn't that keeping her safe because, if not by me, she'd get killed by someone else? And I wouldn't be one to put her through that._

_'Stop being a pussy and just hit it! Don't be such a wimp; save your sister!' my mind screamed at me and I did just that as I burst into a fit of rage at the idea of my sister being changed by anyone but herself. It was up to her, but this beast had made it not so, and so I hit it. And I didn't stop. I beat it until my arms ached and I __still__ hit it, taking out my vengence on the thing that stole Hailey's life. She wasn't coming back and she wouldn't have been anyway. Revenge is a strong word, and I understand only now, the definite truth in that saying. _

_I pulled away and heaved heavily, my breath coming out in shallow pants. I had done it all for Hailey's sake; I had beaten that piece of shit senseless for her. I hated them! Whatever __they__ were. I'd kill every single one of them in turn for Hailey. She deserved it and I took the only sane part of my family - that was now gone - __very__ seriously. _

_They wouldn't live much longer. Because they'd all be killed. And I would be the one to do it, all on my own. I would eradicate them. But before I could even get outside, the phone rang. Weird, my mom sually doesn't get phone-calls and the phone never rings for us kids._

_I picked it up and my ears gave away to the panic on the other end._

_"Ruby! Ruby we need you! You're still alive right? Oh please, please, we need you to come back over here! Can you make it?"_

_Idiot? How did he know I would answer it? Perhaps it was the fright that wasn't allowing him to think about that._

_"C-Cress?" I asked uncertainly, not in the mood for nick-names. To be honest, I was frightened. It took alot to make him bottle it, I'll tell you that now._

_"Yes, yes! Oh thank goodness, you're well? Look, this is rushed, I know, but we really need you back over here. Striaton's in chaos! Please, say you'll come. Cilan already sent Flygon on the way to pick you up. His orders. We need all the survivors we can get!" Cress babbled. I stood, shocked. Why did they need me over there? As I listened closely, I could hear what seemed to be screaming in the back-ground. I swallowed and leaned against the wall, my head spinning. And what did he mean by "survivors"? Why wasn't anything normal? Why was Unova being over-run by these things? I'd heard reports from the TV about places like Nimbasa, struggling through zombie attacks and such. But how was that real? Surely it was a wind-up?_

_"Why, why? What's up? What's going on?" I demanded, trying to make him slow down. By now, enemy or not, I was scared for him. He really seemed in a mess right now._

_"There're monsters __everywhere__! No one knows what they are, where they've come from, or how they got here, but they've been getting to people ever since they arrived, which was about mid-day, yesterday. There's not many of us left. It seems that whenever someone is bitten, they transform; it seems likely as there was a much smaller number of them yesterday! Please, can you get over here?"_

_"B-But-"_

_"Trust me, I'm as confused as you are! Please Ruby, we'll talk about it later, but for now, come here. Bring Hailey too!" before I had the chance to tell him about Hailey and the monster in my bedroom, he hung up. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I tightened my grip around the base-ball bat (it was metal - I should probaby add that), before I swung it round and hit something. There wasn't a scream of pain which indicated it was another one of those things; that had been too close for my liking. I turned and saw it was my mom; I'd know her anywhere. Though I hated her, I felt remorse. I'd managed to single-handedly kill my entire family (well, the family I was living with, which was only those two since my dad cleared off ages ago...)._

_As I made my way outside, there didn't seem to be anymore, as far as I could see. Until I looked to my left. They were __everywhere__! And it didn't seem as if there was anyone normal around; was I the only one left? Probably not, but it sure seemed like it. There was no way I could fight these things all by myself, on my own! Luckily, I didn't have to because Flygon came swooping in at that convinient moment. He gave a small roar when he saw me, indicating he recognised me. I jumped and grabbed onto his bulky legs, allowing him to pull me up and onto his back; he was such a clever pokemon, despite him not being mine!_

_But right now, I was only thinking one thing:_

_I had to get out of here!_

So that's how I'm on my way back to Striaton on the back of Cilan's Flygon. He caught it a couple of years back, back when Iris was running from her parents. Suppose he's kind of handy and it seems Cilan's worked him out since he's ever so friendly now! But still, I was returning to Striaton. Not the safe escape I imagined it would be, but back to everyone I had found myself attached to when I left. It was hard to leave but I said I had to for Hailey.

Hailey...

I'd help them in Striaton and I'd help them kill the all. We'd go throughout the Unova region and eradicate the lot. We'd find out where thye were coming from, we'd find out how this nightmare started and I'd avenge Hailey and, suprisingly enough, my mom. Sure, she was a useless drunk, but she was still my mom; the one who brought me into this world, and I wasn't goign to put that past her. She deserved, at least, some repayment.

Right now, I would've given anything to hold my guitar; that's where I felt safest. I just needed my fingers to be doing something, otherwise they would do what they were doing now: Shake. Trying to distract myself, I held my baseball bat that I had stuffed up my pant leg - y'know like when you carry, say, a pencil behind your ear, or a craft-knife that you don't want your parents to know about down your sock? Trust me, along the seem of your pants is efficient (not for hiding stolen good, granted) for holding weapons. You can hide them _and _you can run too. It's pretty decent.

"Fly~" Cilan's Flygon cooed, thinking I'd forgotton it. It hadn't taken long to get to Unova by flight since we could just pass over the Sinnoh Channel in a matter of minutes and fly to where we needed to be, rather than walk the whole way and get countless boats to get you across the water. I petted him absentmindedly and decided to send my own pokemon out.

"Snivy!~" Jaden exclaimed, dilligant as ever. I'd never part with him. I wouldn't allow myself to lose everything. He was all I had left. And my distant cousin Satoka, but that didn't really count. Still, there was a vacany in my chest that I didn't know I would feel if my family suddenly disappeared. For probably the first time in my life, I felt lonely. Not alone - that was fine. I was content with my own company - but lonely. And it felt awful.

"Vii...~" he snuggled up against my leg and I took him in my arms softly and choked back tears. I never cried. It was weak and stupid. But I couldn't stop the swelling of my throat and the saddness and heaviness in my heart from being there, no matter how much I tried to fantasise about revenge. My eyes filled up, but I'd never let them fall - I couldn't!

Surely, I felt Jaden stand on my knee and wipe away the tears in my eyes with his spiny fingers. I looked up at him (since my head was down so he wouldn't see me upset - I hated making _him_ upset) to see his concerned features, despite him being merely a pokemon. But he wasn't just a pokemon. He was my best friend. And I'd never trade him in for the world.

"Thanks buddy," I whispered, pulling him close.

"Sni...?~" he asked, but I just pulled him closer, not allowing him to see how upset I was. But it really is pointless, since no matter how much I cry, Hailey isn't coming back. Or my mom. I'd just have to make sure that the ones who were alive, stayed alive and do my family justice. And that meant Idiot, and Cilan, and Iris too. And Doofy. We're pretty damn close, despite being rivals, but for now, I was grateful. Though being over-run by zombies wasn't exactly the nicest thing to return back to, I couldn't wait to go back...

**X x**

"Ruby!" Cilan and Iris pounced on me as soon as I entered the Gym. Cilan, weird; he's awfully happy to see me. He _pounced _on me for God's sake!

"Guys, guys, _choking here_!" I gasped as they both realised and stood up, offering me a hand. Too weak to do it on my own as I normally did, I simply accepted the hands and allowed them to pull me up, Jaden re-perching himself on my shoulder. Cress soon entered my vision too and I was surrounded by another hug, though this one was much more careful. That, I was grateful for; I'd whacked my head on the floor when those two pounced on me so cleverly.

"I'm glad you got back safely." he said. It was slightly awkward hugging him, but I didn't mind _too _much. It made me feel a little more normal, I'll tell you that... And then the one and only Doofus came out.

"Ruby?" he questioned, as if he couldn't quite believe I was there, though I'd said I was coming back before I left. Nontheless, all I could shout was:

"Chili!" before running up to him and throwing my arms around him, needing the comfort. Plus, he's warm and it's freezing in here. The monsters must have broken the thermostat or something when they rampaged in here. And if they hadn't been in here, then it sure well looked like it; the tables were up-turned and everything!

"Ruby!" he repeated, returning my hug before I could let go. The funny thing was, I didn't want to. I felt safe and secure with him. Ok, so I'd been... a little mushy for him recently and we may have... kissed a little... but we haven't told anyone, not even the most mature of the lot, which is Idiot, obviously. Then confusion entered my thoughts.

"Why a tux?" I asked, refering to his current out-fit. He looked down for a moment before he chuckled and then turned serious.

"It conceals my scent. They were just gonna put one on too but then you came. I was already changing when you first got here, so that's why I was last out." he explained to me, still holding me at arms length. When I still looked slightly confused, he nodded and continued. "It's made out of this special fabric see, sent specially from the Nimbasa City. It hides your scent - it was originally for that secret pokemon force that track down pokemon, 'cause obviously they have sharper sense than people. Thing is, we don't know how they hunt yet, and we ain't getting close to check it out either. Like, if they find people due to their scent, then they won't find it 'cause we're gonna hide it with the suits, obviously. If they can see, then we hide and if they find us because they hear us, then we be quiet. Simple. The suits are just... pre-cautionary." he grinned at me, leaning towards me slightly.

"What are they?" I asked quietly. By now, the others seemed to have simply formed their own conversation, leaving me and Chili to talk freely. I...I want to kiss him...

"There's a blatant term. Zombies. Don't say anything about it to Cilan though. He'll bring scientific crap into it and we'll be here till next Tuesday. And they ain't gonna wait for us either. Our best guess is to hide throughout Unova, like, constantly be on the move. There's a only us so far, though I'm sure there's alot more survivors i-" but I interrupted him by kissing him. I just... couldn't hold back anymore. The loss of Hailey and my mom was just too much for me to cope with right now. I needed someone to convince me everything would be fine.

Pulling away slowly, he growled: "You make it hard to say no, y'know." before he pulled me in once more, alot more passionately. By now, that tiny inkling of need I'd felt over the past couple of years of knowing him was exploding deep in my gut. I could feel him properly against me now and things were begining to heat up a little so I pulled away and smirked as steadily as I could, though I knew it wasn't convincing. He raised an eyebrow, then took my face in his pale hands. How no one saw us was a wonder.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he whispered, his nose touching mine again. I couldn't keep it in anymore and began to cry. I could feel his shocked gaze on me and just snuggled further into his chest. "And where's Hailey? I thought you were bringing her with you to keep her safe?" this sentence just made me cry harder and I clung to the lapels of his jacket, my face buried in the warm skin of his neck. I felt him falter before he wrapped his arms around me.

Feeling alone was one thing, but feeling like you had somebody but still feeling helpless was another. It was worse. I held him close and sobbed.

"I-I didn't g-get there f-fast enough!" I stuttered, still holding onto him. I could distinctly feel Jaden patting my back; I should've known he'd be upset.

"Y-You mean s-"

"Don't!" I snarled. "Don't say it... but-"

"Your place is infected too?" he asked, pulling back from me. I nodded and wiped my eyes, though he grabbed my wrists and did it for me. He could be so sweet and it was only later when I realised it.

"Chili, what's going on?" I stuttered, placing my head on his chest, trying to soothe myself by listening to his heartbeat - it was slightly rapid, probably from kissing me. I then pulled myself together, slowly yet surely and, just as he began to answer my question, I interrupted his speech. "Y'know, it doesn't matter. The point is, we'll get rid of them. _I'll _get rid of every single one of the stingy bastards. All for Hailey..." I mumbled, smiling a smile so devious, I even suprised myself. I could honestly say that I was looking forward to the next intrusion. "So when do we start moving?" I asked him, looking up and pulling myself (somewhat reluctantly) out of his tender grasp. He gave a me a look. A 'don't-glorify-the-chase-dear-rival' look, condescending with the intention of being worriesome. Worriesome for me.

"ASAP. Probably tonight. By nightfall, we've got a better chance of escaping unscathed. But right now, we're searching for more survivors. So we'll leave by nightfall." he explained wearily. I smiled and clutched my baseball bat tightly. I smirked slowly as thoughts o revenge crossed my mind and I turned excited as I heard a slamming on the door.

"They're back..." Chili mumbled, looking to the door fearfully. Why didn't he just send out Pansear? Were pokemon at risk too? Was it safe for Jaden to be out right now? What if it wasn't? Ah, but Jaden was a fighter, just like me, and we fought professionally, thanks to one of mom's sketchy, yet much-longer-lasting boyfriends. He'd taught us everything, and we worked as a team to perfect those moves, eventually becoming pretty damn powerful between us. If I wasn't the one doing the moves, I'd be pretty scared!

"The... zombies?" it sounded dumb saying zombies, but it was true. They were here? Good. Then they'd feel my revenge and I'd take it out on them, one at a time. And I wouldn't make it quick either. I'd avenge her entirely and all of the lost lives in this craziness that they called real life. It didn't matter to me who they were, so long as I got out alive. And I plan to.

Grinning, I put myself in a defensive position, the baseball bat clean against the back of my head, ready for striking something. Ready to strike something _hard_. With another rather maniacle smirk, I whispered:

"...Let's kick some zombie-ass..."

**X x**

**First chappie done!**

**Now, I may boot this up to M, like I said, because it's rather dark in some places. I felt like doing a story that, not only out-lined Ruby's strength, but out-lined that grudge-holding part of too. It doesn't seem she's gonna let the zombies get away with it, eh? Now, I quite like the idea of a twisted Ruby; in my opinion, it's a great plot to use and an angry Ruby is a fun-to-write Ruby. The need for vengence is clear and the blood-lust is also a nice touch, though it hasn't really kicked in yet. Give it time; it's first chappie! ;)**

**PLEASE, even if you didn't like it, review and tell me why! Of course, I'm gonna love you even more than I do already, if you enjoyed it! And don't worry, the zombies will be (sort of?) explained, but it will probably be at the end of the story. Also, Chili and Ruby are a little closer in this and I aim to take it seriously. Perhaps some... lemon? :)**

**Please review!**

**~Jess~**


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